The Fountain of Ale, Sittingbourne

The Fountain and Railway Hotel, formerly just the Fountain Hotel, is a Shephard and Neame pub built in 1857 as part of the railway complex and was one of Sittingbourne's principal hotels (despite only having 6 rooms) during the early part of the 20th Century. It sits on a plot just opposite the station, but is now difficult to get to due to the new road layout. It has a singla large bar with some original Victorian features including etched glass and fireplace. There is also a telephone which, it is reputed, was used by railway workers who occupied the snug (when it had one) to communicate with the station while having a beer. Only 1 ale on when I visited, Masterbrew, which was beautifully kept and tasted spot on. The atmosphere was calm and quiet despite the presence of a jukebox and gaming machine. The pub also has a good community spirit and is well worth including in a crawl, while I'd be happy to stop here for a pint when travelling through or waiting for a train.